With Bernard out, defense could face Mixon, Walton
Knee injury keeps ex-Aquinas star out of Bengals’ lineup
DAVIE The Miami Dolphins may need to prepare for a different look from the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense on Sunday.
Running back Giovani Bernard, a former St. Thomas Aquinas standout, has been ruled out against the Dolphins after missing practice this week with a knee injury.
Bernard’s absence opens the door for two running backs to assist quarterback Andy Dalton and the Bengals’ offense, which is fourth in the NFL, averaging 31.5 points per game.
Joe Mixon, who missed the last two games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, is expected to return after practicing with the team this week. Mixon was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before being a full participant on Friday.
The other running back in the mix is rookie Mark Walton, the former University of Miami standout selected by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.
Despite missing two games, Mixon still leads all Bengals running backs with 38 carries and 179 yards, but has just one touchdown.
Bernard, who has scored three touchdowns, has rushed for 155 yards on 34 carries and has 14 catches for 78 yards.
Both Mixon and Bernard are averaging 4.7 and 4.6 yards per carry, respectively.
Walton, who made his debut last week against the Falcons, had five carries for nine yards and two catches for 28 yards. He was evaluated for a concussion during the game, but did not appear on Cincinnati’s injury report this week.
The Dolphins are sixth in the NFL, limiting opposing running backs to just 3.7 yards per carry. But they are near the bottom, allowing 110.5 rushing yards per game with four touchdowns.